Can-opener



is a section of the pron which is twisted outwardly or UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS J. LEAVITT, OF NORTH EASTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAN-O SPECIFICATION forming To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS J. LEAVITT, a citizen of the United States,residing at North Easton, in the county of Bristol and- State ofMassachusetts, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Gan-Openers,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like lettersdenote corresponding parts.

My invention relates to an instrument or knife to be used for openingfruit-cans and similar articles.

Figure 1 represents the knife in the operation of cutting out the top ofa can. Fig. 2 is a general representation of the knife-handle andknife-blade with its several parts. Fig.3 g, in which the bevel is moreespecially shown. Fig. 4 is a crosssection ofthe blade-prong at arm,showing more especially the twist of the lip-b.

In utensils of this description heretofore made the knife has beenformed in such a manner that the fulcrum was supplied by the top of thecan, usually in the line of the cut. Sometimes they have been formedlike shears; but inmy invention I form the knife-blade with a prong,said prong being beveled upon one side only; and upon the opposite edgeof the blade, near the handle, I form a lip, from the bevel side of theblade, making a slight depression near the angle formed by the twist ofthe lip, by which means I obtain a fulcrum upon the outside line of theout.

In Fig. 1, G is the can. D is the top.

In Fig. 2, A represents the blade; B, the handle; a, the prongof theblade; a, the bevel of the prong; b, the lip and the fulcrum-point d. cis a ferrule, which is preferably placed on the handle to preventitsplitting. The bevel of the prong is more particularly shown'in Fig. 3.

The knife is made of steel or a similar substance, having ashank whichmay be of the PENER.

part of Letters Patent No. 269,216, dated December 19, 1882.

Application filed August 17, 1882. No model.)

ordinary kind, and which is inserted in the handle B. The object ofhaving the bevel a formed upon one side only of the prong is that itwill tend to keep the knife in a proper position for cutting out thetop, and will also keep the line of out near the edge of the top of thecan. I do not intend to confine myself to this form of bevel, as theprong will work if beveled upon either edge, or, like an ordinary knife,upon both edges, though not so etficiently.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 1. that the lip b, which isturned under or outward, projects outside the edge of the can, while thepoint d forms the fulcrum-point upon which the knife is moved whileperforming the cutting function.

The mode of operation of this utensil is exceedingly simple. The pointof the prong a is inserted near the edge of the top of a can and presseddown until the point brests upon the edge of the can. Then by pressingthe handle downward the cutting-edge, beveled, as shown in Fig. 3, a,will rapidly cut the tin or similar substance of which the can iscomposed, and by moving the knife along a clean cut is made at a uniformdistance from the edge of the can.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is y In a can-opener, the blade A,having the prong a, sharpened upon its outer edge, and the lip 12,formed upon the opposite edge of the blade from the sharpened edge ofthe prong, said lip being turned or twisted from the side upon which thebevel is made, and provided with the depression or fulcrumpoint d, allarranged and combined substantially as and for the purposes described.

AUGS. J. LE AVITT.

BOWDOIN S. PARKER.

